Bulls End Weekend With Five-Set Defeat At North Dakota State

Saturday, September 14

Fargo, ND

11 am

2-6

North Dakota St.

3-4

Buffalo

North Dakota St.

Bulls End Weekend With Five-Set Defeat At North Dakota State

9/14/2019 1:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

FARGO, ND - The University at Buffalo volleyball team claimed the first two sets on Saturday morning, but the Bulls ultimately dropped a 3-2 contest to the host Bison in the final match of the NDSU Classic.

North Dakota State took the contest 26-28, 19-25, 25-7, 25-20, 15-12 despite the Bulls outhitting the Bison, .214 to .196. However, it came down to each team's performance at the service line as North Dakota State recorded 12 aces in the match, while the Bulls had just one ace and 11 service errors.

The Bulls trailed for most of the opening set, including an 18-14 deficit, when UB scored four straight to tie up the set. The Bison regained a 23-21 lead, but three straight points by the Bulls gave Buffalo a set point. NDSU would fight off three set points before UB got a kill from senior Rachel Sanks and an NDSU attack error to clinch the set.

In the second set, the two teams found themselves tied at 15-15 when the Bulls went on a 5-0 run to take a 20-15 lead. A block from senior Kristina Nieves and freshman Abby Leigh clinched the set for Buffalo and gave UB the 2-0 lead into the break.

However, North Dakota State responded beginning with a 12-1 run to open the third set. The Bison won the third easily, but the Bulls tried to fight back in the fourth. A service ace from junior Lexi Nordmann gave UB a 15-13 lead and Buffalo continued to lead 18-16 when NDSU scored five straight to take the lead. In all, it was a 9-2 run for the Bison to force a fifth set.

The fifth was also a tight one as the team were tied at 7-7 midway through, but NDSU would go on to take the lead late and come away with a 15-12 win in to clinch the match.

Sanks set a new career high with 20 kills to lead all players in the match. Senior Polina Prokudina and redshirt sophomore Monika Simkova added nine kills, while Nordmann had seven. Senior Scout McLerran finished with 30 assists, while freshman Emma Puzausky added 13.

Defensively, sophomore Paige Beck tied her career high with 20 digs and freshman Jenna Sonnenberg added 10. Nieves had a team-high six blocks, including a solo, to lead the way.

Following the match, Nordmann was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Buffalo will return to Western New York to close out non-conference play next weekend when it hosts the Blue and White Classic. Canisius and Cornell will open action at 10:30 am on Friday followed by UB's first match against St. Francis (PA) at 12:30 pm.